The Fresno Bee du lieu suivant : Fresno, California • 66

F2 Friday June 24 1994 The Fresno Bee Movies Lion: Disney films play to everyone not just kids Threatening situation King Mufasa left has an ominous run-in with his power-hungry brother Scar learned from and and the and Little is that these films can exist to a really wide audience of people and operate on a number of levels have very funny edgy sophisticated adult humor existing side by side with things that are appropriate for a younger audience other thing of animation great and that necessarily happen in live-action films is the tremendous range and corners you can turn You can be belching in one scene and 30 seconds later you can be having a poignant moment under the stars reflecting about the death of your father Those kind of right angles seem to happen very well in animation It allows you to spin a very elaborate story in a very short amount of time I think part of what makes it so And yet Minkoff said think all the artists in animated movies think of them as animated movies These are movies And all of us are huge fans of movies We want to see animation ghettoized which is what has happened in the past Because we all come into it with that sort of passion with convictions to try to transcend those barriers helped us push beyond Continued from Page FI think going to be able to succeed on the same level of the things we do is we work with the story material from the day we start to the day we finish constantly refining and enriching and underscoring and trying to bring the story up to a par with any other kind of Don Hahn Lion producer goes so far as to say that not just the things that go into the film that are important but the parts that are taken out the single most important thing is the willingness to throw stuff he said screwy as that sounds the willingness to experiment the willingness to throw out whole chunks of movie that working wholesale and rebuilding it allows the best ideas to surface that environment able to allow the movie to form itself to its best ability impossible in this medium to get a screenplay storyboard it and crank it out and make it look beautiful It work And I think sometimes the flaw that other studios have they assume that that process Hahn and Minkoff are also aware that the success of another animated film outside of Disney can only legitimize anima Film offers great characterizations The secret? Don Hahn producer of Lion says part of success is a willingness to experiment with a film another studio outside of Disney who makes a successful film in its own right at the same Which brings us back to storytelling and other secret Where other animated films play to kids Disney films play to everyone would have never made $250 million domestically had it been a kid said Hahn think what we have tion as substantial filmmaking in its own right and the Academy Award nomination for Best Picture went a long way in that regard but animation is not all the way there yet think the image is changing so just a matter of how long going to take to really change Minkoff said think frankly there will probably have to be A look at other recent animated blockbusters coming-of-age tale Positive message: We all have a responsibility to our heritage Negative subtext: The syndrome another Disney film where a parent dies Music: Tim Rice and Elton John Comic relief: Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the wart hog Music: Alan Menken Howard Ashman and Tim Rice Comic relief: the Genie Abu the monkey Academy Awards: Best Original Score and Best Original Song Whole New Lion (1994): Origin: first animated film based on an original story a Comic relief: Chip the little teacup Academy Awards: First animated film ever nominated for Best Picture Oscars for Best Original Score and Best Original Song and the (1992): Origin: Arabian author unknown Positive message: Be yourself true self has greatest value Negative subtext: Racial stereotypes of Arabs Box office: $200 million Video sales: million fA'I WOODWARD PARK 4 DRIVE-IN Blackstonc at tirrndon (209) 435-8160 worry be This last of course Simba is the rightful king and must eventually return to the land that his uncle has taken over and destroyed Aided by his childhood friend Nala (Moira Kelly) and baboon Rafiki (Robert Guillaume) the adult Simba (Matthew Broderick) makes his way back to face his uncle You could call this film on the and you be too far off But more to it than that Screenwriters Irene Mecchi Jonathan Roberts and Linda Wool-verton have ransacked all of cinema and literature to put together their story original only to the extent that no one has combined these elements in exactly this manner before What the writers deserve credit for is blending their elements so well There is humor pathos and genuinely scary moments and they all fit into a greater whole The large-scale rifling extends from the screenwriting to the art direction Disney artists have taken from everything starting with own nature documentaries and ranging far afield not everyone who can make a reference to both With the and Leni Reifen-stahl in a scene musical number) and make it work Lion also is the most verdantly colorful film yet They used all the Crayolas for this one If one area in which Lion quite match up to its recent predecessors the music by Tim Rice and Elton John It mesh as seamlessly with the story as the songs did in or and the Rice is not as witty a lyricist as the late Howard Ashman was and this has its effect on the end result But the music is perfectly fine: Circle of which opens the film and the sinister are as good as any Disney song care to think of Hans African-inspired score is excellent All the way around Lion is the best film so far this year Continued from Page FI are top of the line Lion 32nd full-length animated film confirms this assessment as well as any of the films since Little Lion boasts a top-notch story (the first to be developed in-house and not from a previously published work) excellent characterizations instantly hummable tunes and some of the best artwork and animation the ever done a classic from the opening sequence Lion also is the first Disney animated film to be completely free of human beings The action takes place on an idealized African savannah where Mufasa (voice of James Earl Jones) the Lion King is busy presenting his son Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) to the assembled fauna of the area Simba is the cutest little lion cub ever care to see and all of the animals (even the ones bound to be eaten later) are happy to see him All that is except Scar treacherous brother given brilliant life by the voice of Jeremy Irons Scar is an outcast by choice and by natural inclination he prefers the company of the local lowlifes (hyenas played by Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin) to that of his brother Scar has his own designs on the kingdom and appearance understandably complicates things for him To clear the way to the throne Scar arranges for an accident to befall Mufasa and Simba: a wildebeest stampede which ranks as one of the most technically accomplished and most frightening scenes Disney has done Mufasa sacrifices himself to save his son But Scar who just happens to be around tightens the screws on little Simba and suggests the boy get the heck out of Dodge Simba is too young to have any brains and does just that Simba eventually lands in the local jungle where he is befriended by Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabel-la) a meerkat and wart hog respectively who are this comedy relief They are hysterical playing off each other like a vaudeville act (Lane and Sabella are veteran Broadway actors) and Simba subscribes to their philosophy of which loosely translated means MADERA I 1140 GATEWAYDR 674-1511 By Jennifer Bojorquez McCiatchy News Service Odds are that Lion will be another blockbuster for Disney The studio is in the midst of an animated feature revival since the 1989 release of Little how recent animated films stack up against Lion (1989): Origin: Based on Hans Christian Andersen story Positive message: Children must be free to live their own lives Negative subtext: Sexist heroine only dreams of getting her man Box office: $84 million Video sales: $10 million Music: Howard Ashman and Alan Menken Comic relief: Flounder the fish Academy Awards: Best Original Score and Best Original Song the and the (1991): Origin: Loosely based on the 16th-century French tale des Positive message: Feminist heroine beauty is only skin deep you judge a book by its cover Negative subtext: Some complaints that Belle was a bit too smug Box office: $150 million Video sales: $20 million Music: Howard Ashman and Alan Menken $400 ALL SEATS BEFORE 5 PM DRIVE-IN FEATURES START AT DUSK CHILDREN UNDER 12 FREE CINE-FI SOUND IN ALL SCREENS THE LION KING (G) WHITE FANG 2 (PG) THE FLINTSTONES (PG) JURASSIC PARK(PG13) WOLF (R) I CITY SLICKERS II (PG-13) WOLF (R) 11:15 1:45 10:00 WOLF (R) (1:15 4:00) 7:00 9:30 GETTWG EVEN WITH DAD (PG) (1200 2:30 9:40 RENAISSANCE MAN (PG-13) (11:15 ISO 9:35 THE LION KING (G) (10:30 12:30 2:45 9:15 THE LION KING (Q) A (9:00 11:00 1:00 3:15 5:30) 7:45945 GETTING EVEN WITH DAD (SAT SUN ONLY 11 :45 2:15) 4:30 7:15 9:30 (PG) THE LION KING (SAT SUN ONLY 11:15 1:15) 3:155:157:159:00 (G) 6 1600 VJILL01V at SHAW 2992517 CITY SLICKERS (SAT SUN ONLY 11:30 2:00) 4:307:009:30 (PG) SPEED (SAT SUN ONLY 1 1 :30 2:00) 4:307:009:30 SPEED (R) I STRIKING DISTANCE (R) SPEED (R) (12:00 2:30 5:00) 7:30 9:50 THE CROW (R) WITH BEVERLY HILLS COP III (R) (1:15 SPEED (R) (11:30 2:00 9:25 THE FL1NTSTONES (PG) (1130 1:30 3:30 5:30) 7:30 9:30 THE FLINTSTONES(PG) (1:00 3:00 900 CITY SLICKERS THE LEGEND OF CURLY'S GOLD (PG-13) (11:45 2:15 9:45 WOLF (SAT A SUN ONLY 1 1 :30 2:00) 4:307:009:30 (R) Fig Garten 4 smu palm 224-1878 Bargains Every Saturday Sunday 6:00 am to 4:00 pm at Pacific's SUNNYSIDE SWAP MEET 5550 East Olive At Clovis Call 255-7469 or 251-1363 WYATT EARP (PG-13) (11:30 3:30) 7:30 WYATT EARP (PG-13) (12:30 4:30) 8:30 WIDOWS PEAK (PG) (1:15 3:15 9:15 MAVERICK (PG) (1 :00 4:00) 7:00 1 9:30 WYATT EARP (SAT SUN ONLY (2:00) 4:008:00 BARGAIN SHOWS IN (Parenthesis) SHOWTIMES ARE FOR TODAY ONLY Villa at Shaw Clovis 297-1818 WOLF (R) STEREO NO VIPS UNTIL JULY 1 rh GETTING EVEN WITH DAD (PG) NO VIPS UNTIL JULY 1 ray MAVERICK "PREPARE TO BE AWED! THE LION KING'ISATRIUMPH" RICHARD CORLISS TIME MAGAZINE Ui i rrcTTniw RENAISSANCE MAN (PG13) I VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT! HYSTERICALLY FUNNY EXCITING AND MOVING LONG LIVE THE JOEL SIEGEL GOOD MORN ING AMERICA ROYAL TREAT! EXHILARATING!" PETERTRAVERS ROLLING STONE BETTER THAN i A MOVIE WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN (R) THE COWBOY WAY (PG) Said Ray THUMBS UPFORTHE LION -SISKEL EBERT seen them on HBO Showtime Comedy central and Evening at the improv Now see FUNNIEST COMEDIANS RIGHT HERE IN FRESNO FRIDAY SATURDAY Featuring cocktails and Fabulous Food 8:00 10:00 SHOWS TEN DOLLAR COVER WONDERFULLY ENTERTAINING -Paul Wunder WBAI RADIO Macaulay Gulkln Ted Danson Walt Disney Pictures PRESENTS THE not getting mad Lion king liNirfay INUNUH I KMXMfeS lA IM fHt lUIMAlHiNPix 01994 METRO- OLDWYM- MAYER PICTURES IRC AIL RIGHTS RESERVED Starts today NO PASSES OR DISCOUNT TICKETS ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT SEE DIRECTORY FOR SHOWTIMES 1231 VAN NESS DOWNTOWN Festival cinemas 5560 Blackstone 431-7580 UNITED AEITISTS Sierra vista Santa Ana Ave at Clovis Ave 348-1 931 PACIFIC'S Woodward park 4 drive-in BtackstoneHemdon 435-8160 viiiShMJM 2571118 i 431-7580 crc: wherehouse tower 209 226 aM All tickets su Elect to convenience fee See Lion Celebration Come to Life beginning July 1 at Disneyland NOW PLAYING SCREWBALLZ 1.